CHltp Daily (Ear Heel
Police
Roundup
University
Wednesday, Dec. 5
■An employee at the N.C.
Botanical Garden reported at 6:55 a.m.
that a person broke into the storage
shed area at the Totten Center and
removed three kerosene heaters, valued
at S2OO each.
Reports state that the suspect also
broke into the main center and stole
three pagers, a cell phone, two tillers,
two chain saws, a VCR and S2OO in
cash. There are no suspects at this time.
The incident is under investigation.
Monday, Dec. 3
■ A UNC student called in a larce
ny at Fetzer Gymnasium at 9:42 p.m,
reports state.
The victim reported that a wool
UNC letterman jacket containing a wal
let, a driver’s license and a credit card
was stolen from a table outside Gym C
between 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.
There is no further information at
this time.
■ University police responded to a
purse-snatching report they received
from a UNC student at 4:25 p.m.
The victim stated that someone took
her purse from her backpack as she was
waiting for a bus in front of the Bell
Tower.
The victim stated that her head was
bowed and covered because she had a
headache, and at one point she heard
the person next to her rustling around,
according to reports.
According to reports, the victim
could not give a description of the per
son standing next to her.
■ An employee at Davis Library
called police at 2:22 p.m. to report there
had been a person carrying a knife in
the library.
The employee told police the suspect
had the knife on his waistband, but as
far as he knew, the suspect did not
remove the knife from its holster or
threaten anyone with it.
■ University police responded to a
report of criminal property damage
they received at 12:22 p.m.
Reports state that a jogger threw a
bottle, breaking the windshield of a tow
truck that was traveling north on Bowles
Drive.
The victim stated that the suspect
continued running and might have run
into the Smith Center. The investigating
officer checked the Smith Center and
did not find the suspect, according to
reports.
The windshield is valued at $250.
City
Wednesday, Dec. 5
■ Carrboro police arrested Robert
Driscoll, 21, of 112 Lin Tilley Road in
Durham at 1:38 a.m. for embezzlement.
Reports state that Driscoll stole $649
in cash and various goods from The
Pantry on Jones Ferry Road, where
Driscoll was employed.
The cash and goods were last known
to be secure Dec. 1 at 10:33 a.m.,
reports state.
Officers arrested Driscoll at 102 N.C.
54. He was transported to the police
department, where he was released
under a written promise to appear in
the Orange County District Court in
Hillsborough on Wednesday, reports
state.
Tuesday, Dec. 4
■ Carrboro police responded to a
larceny call at 9 a.m. at 404 Jones Ferry
Road.
Reports state that an unknown sub
ject stole the victim’s property. The
property was last known to be secure on
Nov. 26.
The total value of the stolen goods
was $420, reports state.
The case is inactive.
■ Carrboro police arrested
Frederick Watson, 27, of Pittsboro at
10:36 p.m. for possession of marijuana.
Reports state that officers per
formed a traffic stop on Watson’s vehi
cle and discovered a strong odor of
marijuana.
Officers found 15 grams of marijuana
in Watson’s pocket, reports state.
Watson faces one misdemeanor
count of possession of marijuana,
reports state.
Watson is scheduled to appear in the
Orange County District Court in
Hillsborough onjan. 14.
■ Chapel Hill police responded to a
larceny call at 1:20 p.m. at 248
Brookberry Circle.
Reports state that the ex-boyfriend of
the victim took items from the residence
when he moved out early last month.
The total value of the stolen goods
was $3,020, reports state.
The case is under further investiga
tion.
Construction Injuries Lead to Liability Concerns
By Rachel Clarke
and Addie Sluder
Staff Writer
Students have long complained about
the inconvenience of campus construc
tion, but a recent series of construction
related incidents is creating new con
cerns about safety and liability.
On Tuesday, University police
responded to an EMS assistance call on
the second floor of Bingham Hall.
University police Maj. Jeff McCracken
said the victim, a construction worker,
had a nail from an air gun lodged in his
right knee. McCracken was not able to
specify which construction company or
project the victim worked for.
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DTH/BRIAN CASSELLA
Football coach John Bunting jokes with the Tar Heels' senior defensive tackle Ryan Sims (left) and sophomore Brandon Russell.
Bunting took time out Wednesday afternoon to talk with students in the Pit. He thanked the crowd for cheering the team on this
season and rallied support for the upcoming Peach Bowl. The Tar Heels will travel to Atlanta for the game on New Year's Eve.
Officials Seek Hiring Exemption
By Brook Corwin
Staff Writer
University officials recendy have expressed
interest in lobbying state legislators to excuse
UNC employees from regulation by the State
Personnel Commission.
Laurie Charest, director of UNC’s human
resources department, said her department would
like to be exempted from the State Personnel Act
because the State Personnel Commission impos
es job requirements that restrict UNC’s ability to
fill staff positions. “All of our job positions each
have a classification, and each of those classifica
tions has requirements that are strict,” Charest
said. “The state doesn’t always recognize the spec
ifications needed for a University position.”
Last spring, UNC employee Bobbie Sanders
filed a lawsuit against the University on the
grounds of sex and age discrimination. Judge
Sammie Chess ruled in favor of Sanders, but the
decision was overturned by the SPC last month.
Police Give Advice
For Break Security
By Erika Heyder
Staff Writer
Police officials say UNC students liv
ing off campus can rest easy during the
holiday break even though break-ins
become more rampant as students
vacate their houses during the Winter
Break.
Chapel Hill police spokeswoman
Jane Cousins said
police plan to
increase officer
patrols around sur
rounding neigh
borhoods.
Cousins added
that the additional
security measures
aim to ward off
potential criminal
activity during the
“The most important thing
people can do is make other
people think that someone
is home. ”
Art Englebardt
Crime Prevention Officer
break.
“We recognize that the holiday sea
son brings more crime and officers do
all they can to up patrols and keep a
heavier eye out on apartment complex
es, Greek houses and other residences,”
Cousins said.
She said eight break-ins were report
ed while students were away injanuary
2001, up from five reports injanuary
But this was not the only construc
tion-related incident to occur in recent
months. At the beginning of the semes
ter, two freshmen were splattered with
wet concrete while walking by the con
struction site outside Hinton James
Residence Hall.
In November, some students com
plained of nausea after inhaling particles
from dust clouds caused by the renova
tion of Murphey Hall.
University police reports also state
that a Contractor’s Choice employee
was taken to the UNC Hospitals emer
gency room after being hit by construc
tion material Nov. 26.
These events bring about questions of
liability for damages caused by campus
STILL FEELING PEACHY
Charest said UNC still would like to remove its
employees from SPC oversight, despite the ruling.
But Ashley Osment, one of Sanders’ attorneys,
said employees are easy targets for acts of dis
crimination by employers without the protection
of the SPC. She said die risk occurs because it is
too expensive and time-consuming to file a law
suit without assistance from the commission.
“Exempt employers have general statements
against discrimination, but those statements
mean nothing,” Osment said. “The flexibility
this offers means you’re basically throwing
employees to the wolves.”
Charest said a bill to remove University
employees from the State Personnel Act was intro
duced in the legislature this year but did not pass.
She said a committee of legislators was
formed to study the issue and report to the
General Assembly during its 2003 session,
when the bill will be reconsidered.
Charest said she hopes a bill will pass because
it would allow the University to attract more qual
2000.
While break-ins do become more
common during the holiday break,
some off-campus students say they are
taking preventative measures to keep
any intruders away.
Elbe Blake, a junior biology major
who lives in a house on North Graham
Street, said she and her roommates are
planning to take several precautions,
hoping to protect
their house during
the break.
In addition to
leaving lights on
and locking the
doors, Blake said
she is going to
check up on the
house periodically
during the break.
“The two of us
are going to try and come back once or
twice to make sure the house is OK,”
she said.
But Art Englebardt, a Chapel Hill
crime prevention officer, offered other
tips that might help protect students’
homes.
“The most important thing people
See BREAK-INS, Page 4
News
construction.
Bruce Runberg, associate vice chan
cellor for facilities planning, said UNC
has self-coverage that is always in place.
The University does not take out any
special insurance for construction pro
jects because each individual contractor
takes out its own insurance policy for
each project. “Every one of the contrac
tors is required to have insurance cover
age and safety programs,” Runberg said.
He said UNC has an extensive
process to examine safety issues before
construction begins. “We put a lot of
energy into that," Runberg said. But the
University cannot prevent injury from
occurring, he said. “The construction
industry is a dangerous industry.”
ity applicants away from private universities, the
employees of which are exempt from SPC regu
lation. “There’s a lot of interest to pass the bill
in the name of competitiveness and the ability
to attract and retain quality personnel,” Charest
said. “This is a very competitive labor market”
The legislature passed a similar bill in 1998
exempting UNC Health Care employees from
state personnel regulations.
But Osment said such legislation still places
non-state employees at an advantage over state
employees because state employees are subject
to a N.C. law limiting the power labor unions.
“The irony of this is that you strip employees
of their rights while doing nothing to alleviate the
handicap non-state employees have with their
right to assemble,” she said. “You’ve got state
employees who have less rights than any employ
ees in North Carolina.”
The University Editor can be reached at
udesk@unc.edu.
Town: Parking Lot in Violation
By John Frank
Staff Writer
The town of Chapel Hill Board of
Adjustment unanimously upheld the
town manager’s decision to shut down
the lot run by Tar Heel Parking for vio
lations of town zoning ordinances.
An appeal by Tar Heel Parking
owner Gustave Mueller failed in a 10-0
vote before the town adjustment board
at its meeting late Wednesday night.
Since 1995, UNC students have
parked in the lot off U.S. 15-501 near
Southern Village. About 20 students
now lease spaces for S3OO a semester.
Tar Heel Parking came under scruti
ny last year for selling spaces to students
who said they were promised more than
they received. Several students went to
Student Legal Services for help and
reached a $5,200 refund settlement with
Mueller.
Under the contract students signed
with Tar Heel Parking this year, they
will recover a large amount of their
money if the parking lot is shut down by
the town, said Aaron Hemmings,
Mueller’s attorney. Mueller still can
appeal the board’s decision to the
Orange County Superior Court.
Terry Milner, outside special counsel
for the town, said the parking lot does
not meet proper site plan restrictions
that ensure the safety of its users.
Both sides argued back and forth over
the history and condition of the lot and
At least 10 UNC departments work
to ensure that construction projects are
safe. Each project also is overseen by the
Occupational Safety and Heath
Administration.
If a student or employee is injured on
campus, either the construction compa
ny, the University or the individual
department could be liable.
Each case is handled differently,
Runberg said. For example, a student
injured on the sidewalk might get a set
dement from UNC, but if a lawn mower
damaged a vehicle, the grounds depart
ment would have to pay to fix it, he said.
Complainants must demonstrate
UNC’s negligence to receive compensa
tion. “In order for the University to be
LGBT Murders
Spur Warnings
By Local Police
Although the details of two recent murders
remain sketchy, campus LGBT leaders hope
to publicize the possible risks of Internet use.
By Erika Heyder
Staff Writer
The Family Anti-Violence Union met Wednesday night to
discuss proposed safety actions the lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender community should take after the murders of two
gay men in Durham earlier this semester.
Michael Cox, the union’s lead activist, and the group gath
ered in the Durham Public Library to discuss, according to the
event’s press release, “ways of sustaining communication lines
with the intent of documenting, preventing and educating about
violent crimes within and against our queer communities.”
Detective David Addison of the Durham Police
Department first answered questions about the department’s
investigation from the group of media representatives and
concerned LGBT residents.
The two men -one stabbed Sept 24 and the other Oct. 21
- were known users of local gay chat rooms on the Internet.
Their murders prompted Durham police to issue a warning to
the area’s gay community, although police have been hesitant
to disclose information about the investigations.
“I do not see a common connection between the two mur
ders,” Addison said. “However, the chat rooms could have
been one factor involved in both cases.”
Glenn Grossman, chairman of the Carolina Alternative
Meetings of Professional and Graduate Students, encouraged
the LGBT community to be wary of using chat rooms to meet
people.
“Like drugs and unsafe sex, the Internet is a high-risk
behavior, and we need to better assess our risks and respond
to those risks,” Grossman said.
Addison agreed, but added that the danger of meeting
strangers on the Internet is not exclusive to members of the
LGBT community.
“I think that with every community you need to safeguard
yourself, for the Internet is a powerful tool that is not just par
ticular to the gay community,” he added.
But several LGBT individuals at the meeting expressed con
cern that the Internet is one of few places where they can com
municate with other members of their specific community.
“People on (UNC’s) campus need to be aware that the ways
we find available to meet and interact with other LGBT peo
ple entails a degree of risk that we need to be aware of,"
Grossman said.
He also alerted students of the risks Internet chat rooms
pose for the LGBT community as well as for all students.
“To me, these recent murders represent that we really need
a stronger infrastructure community for LGBTs on campus.”
he said.
“Ultimately, it represents a deeper problem.”
The City Editor can be reached
at citydesk@unc.edu.
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DTH/JESSICA WOOTEN
Gustave Mueller responds to accusations made by UNC freshmen Marla
Kinlaw (left), Brandee Guyton and their attorney, Dorothy Bemholz.
whether it could be used as a parking lot
But Milner said the parking lot also
violates many other provisions that make
it unsafe. “The result of this decision is
some bad behavior and unsafe condi
tions will cease,” said Milner, citing the
lack of pavement and lighting in the lot
UNC freshmen Marla Kinlaw and
Brandee Guyton testified on behalf of the
town about the unsafe conditions of the
lot Kinlaw and Guyton testified that they
co-leased a parking space at the beginning
Thursday, December 6, 2001
liable the individual must show that the
University was negligent,” said Patricia
Crawford, assistant University counsel.
If negligence is proven when some
one is hurt on campus, a tort claim can
be filed to recover damages.
“I bet we have one orTwo a year,”
Runberg said. “It is infrequent, fortu
nately.”
Tort claim forms are handled by
University counsel but also are reviewed
by the state attorney general’s office,
Bamberg said. Crawford said if the indi
vidual is an employee, he must file for
worker’s compensation.
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edu.
of the year, but upon visiting the lot found
out that it was nothing like the lot adver
tised in the promotion flier they received.
“Safety is the most important thing and
the parking lot is not safe,” Guyton said.
But Mueller said at the hearing he
was going to develop the lot into a com
mercial development in May 2002. He
is in the process of getting the proper
ordinances approved to build an
See MUELLER, Page 4
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